Celtics rally late for rousing Game 1 victory over the Sixers

Elise Amendola | Associated PressCeltics guard Rajon Rondo (9) drives by Philadelphia 76ers guard Lou Williams during the first quarter of Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Saturday night in Boston.

By JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON – Kevin Garnett scored 29 points – his most all season – and added 11 rebounds Saturday night to give the Boston Celtics a 92-91 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in the opener of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Rajon Rondo had 17 assists, 13 points and 12 rebounds for his eighth career playoff triple-double. He ran the length of the court to receive the inbounds pass and dribble out the final 3.4 seconds to allow the Celtics to hang on.

Game 2 is Monday night in Boston before the series shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4.

Andre Iguodala scored 19 points and Evan Turner had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the 76ers, who advanced to the second round for the first time since 2003 by beating East No. 1 seed Chicago.

The Sixers led 77-67 with 11 minutes to play before Boston scored 23 of the next 30 points, with Rondo making a jumper to cut it to 80-79, then another with 3:37 left to give Boston the lead.

After Spencer Hawes’ basket from the right endline put the Sixers up 84-83, Rondo drove to the basket and, with his path blocked, turned and handed the ball to Garnett. He banked one in and drew a foul to give Boston a two-point lead, then added another jumper.

After misses by Turner and Lou Williams, Paul Pierce hit a fall-away jumper with 78 seconds left to make it a six-point lead – the Celtics’ biggest of the night.

Jrue Holliday’s jumper cut it to three points, then Rondo fouled him with 3.4 seconds left and he made both shots. Boston inbounded the ball from between the benches, and Rondo sprinted into the backcourt and outran his defender to the wrong basket as time expired.

Pierce, who has a sprained MCL in his left knee, scored 14 points on 3-for-11 shooting. Rondo was only 6 for 15 from the floor, but he was 3 for 6 in the fourth quarter, adding five rebounds and four assists.

Both teams advanced by winning their first-round series in six games: Boston beat Atlanta, and Philadelphia eliminated the Bulls to become the fifth No. 8 seed to eliminate a No. 1. They got only one day off before beginning the second round in Boston, where the Celtics earned their only victory against the Sixers this year.

Philadelphia won the two games at home, including a 32-point victory March 7. None of the three regular-season meetings between the teams was close.

The Sixers scored the first seven points and led by 10 at the end of the first quarter, when Boston shot 30 percent. It was 45-32 when Boston scored 10 of the last 12 points of the half, with Rondo picking up four assists and a steal in the final 3 minutes before the break.

A little more than two minutes into the third, Avery Bradley outraced Rondo to a long rebound and took it in, splitting defenders Iguodala and Holiday for the reverse layup that made it 48-47 – Boston’s first lead. Philadelphia quickly retook it and extended it to eight points.

NOTES: Garnett scored eight points on 4-for-6 shooting in the first quarter and was the only Celtics starter to make a basket in the first ... Ray Allen, who was 1 for 7 from the floor in Game 6 of the Atlanta series while struggling with bone spurs in his right ankle, was 3 for 5 in 14 minutes in the first half Saturday ... Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca ventured over to the media section to say hello to former player Brian Scalabrine, who was working for Comcast.